Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, sadly enough.
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A few days had passed and Riku had had no luck at all in finding his friends. He was just considering giving up and going home when his first real clue since his arrival in Twilight Town hit him smack dab in the face. Literally.
Riku stumbled backward before righting himself, rubbing his injured nose.
"Ah! Sorry about that."
Riku waved it off. "No, it's fine. I wasn't watching where I was…going…" His voice faded off. "Axel? What are you doing here?"
Axel, who had been about to turn away, froze and spun back around. "Sorry…do I know you?"
Riku looked at him in confusion. "Yeah. It's me, Riku?"
"Oh right! Sorry…Talk about blank with a capital B." He chuckled. "Of course I remember you. How ya been?"
Riku shrugged. "I've been looking for my friends."
Axel looked at him strangely. "Is that so? Which ones?"
"Oh uh…Sora and the others…Why? Have you seen um?"
Axel nodded. "On the train just now." He jerked his head back in the direction of the train which was just leaving the station. "Just missed it. I don't know where they were going, but if you hang around the center of town you'll find um soon enough."
Riku smiled for the first time in days. "Thanks." He turned to go, then stopped. "Say, what are you doing here? You never said…"
"Oh right…" Axel shifted his weight and looked as though he didn't want to say. "It's not important…but Riku…when you do see your friends…don't bring him up, okay?"
"Him? Him who?"
"Number thirteen." With that, Axel turned walked off, waving over his shoulder at Riku.
"Hey wait! What happened to Roxas?" he shouted, but Axel was long gone, disappeared into the crowd.
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After that, Riku decided to follow Axel's advise and headed for the center of town. He got on the next train and settled back for the hour long wait before he got where he wanted to go. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes, enjoying the silence of the empty car.
"I wonder what happened to Roxas…" he muttered to himself. "I thought Sora was staying with him…"
"He was."
Riku jumped and looked around. "I didn't know there was anyone else here," he said honestly when his heart rate returned to normal.
"There wasn't." The man smiled.
"Who are you? I don't think I know you."
The man smiled and tugged the hood of his cloak down father over his face. "It's been a while Riku. I'm not surprised you don't remember."
Riku considered him even more carefully. "Your voice sounds familiar…and you're wearing an Organization uniform. Who are you?" he demanded.
"You won't find what you're looking for here, Riku."
"You mean my friends?"
The figure shook his head. "No, not them. You'll find them alright. Most of them, anyway."
"Oh, you're talking about Roxas, aren't you?"
He smiled but said nothing.
"What happened to him?" Riku's voice was rising without him even realizing it.
"Ask your friends," the man replied simply.
"I'm asking you. And I think you know something."
The man smiled again. "And you'd be right, but I'm not going to be the one to tell you. That's something you need to discover yourself." He stood and moved toward the door.
"Hey, what are you doing? The train's still moving."
The man only waved as he walked through the solid door and disappeared.
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Sora and the others got back late that night. They were all exhausted but happy. Their trip to the beach had been fun, but something had been bothering Sora that whole time.
Kairi was the first to notice. "Sora, is something wrong? You've been jumpy all day…"
"Hm? Oh um…Just a little…tired, I guess…"
Kairi slowed to a stop and Sora stopped beside her, the others moving on without noticing. "You're lying…" she said softly.
"Yeah, w-well…" He didn't know what to say to that.
"You know…Sora…if there's anything I can do…you'd tell me, right?"
Sora attempted a smile. "Yeah. Yeah of course."
She smiled back at him though she still looked sad and a little suspicious. "Good. Well, since that's settled…" She faced forward again and started to head back toward their friends. "So I was thinking we'd get started on our summer assignment tomorrow. What do you think of that Sora?" When there was no reply, she turned around but no one was there. "Sora?" she called. "Sora!!"
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Riku was sitting on a low wall in the town's center. It was still the middle of the day and he was getting weird looks from people he didn't even know. He wished they'd either leave him alone or tell him where Sora and the others were. Or at least do something useful. Seriously, it's not like he was just there for eye candy. (this last fact is under dispute by the rabid fan girls following poor Riku around…)
It was starting to get late and he'd been there for maybe two hours when someone finally approached him. Riku looked up with a smile, thinking it would be Sora but then his face became impassive again when he saw that it wasn't.
"Who are you?" the boy demanded.
Riku raised an eyebrow. "What's it matter to you?"
"I'm the head of Twilight Town's disciplinary committee. I make these things my business, see? So I suggest you answer me."
"Or what? You'll blind me with your belly shirt?"
Seifer's eye twitched. "Whatever. Who are you?" he demanded again.
"King Riku," Riku replied, unable to resist throwing in his title.
"King of what?" Seifer scoffed, apparently thinking Riku was making things up.
Riku smirked. "Hell," he growled softly.
Seifer's smug look faded slightly as he considered this stranger with a new light.
Riku laughed and stood, looking down a few inches at the younger boy. "Geez Seifer. Can't even remember me from school?"
Recognition shone in Seifer's eyes at last. "Oh yeah! Sorry…you look…different…"
"Do I? People keep saying that…"
"Maybe it's the duds. You're wearing a black cloak and all…?"
"Am I?" Riku seemed surprised. Then he looked down at himself. "Oh…I guess I am." With that he pulled it off, revealing his normal clothes underneath. "Better?"
Seifer laughed. "Yeah." He shrugged. "Anyway, I better get going. You gonna be in town long?"
Riku shrugged. "Depends on if I ever find my friends. You seen um?"
Seifer's shoulders actually slumped a little. "Yeah…" he replied, voice low. "Just after…well…you know…" He looked around nervously.
Riku looked at him oddly. "Does it have anything to do with Rox-?"
"Shut up!" Seifer hissed. "Do you want people to hear you?"
Riku was really concerned now. "I haven't been around in half a year. What happened to R…him?"
Seifer was taken aback. "You really don't know…?" When Riku shook his head Seifer sighed. "And I thought everyone knew this already…" He sighed. "All right, but I'll only tell ya what I heard. I gotta make this quick." He glanced around to make sure no one was listening or close enough to eavesdrop. "You know how he was in that Organization a while back? The dark one?"
Riku nodded, not liking where this was going.
"I heard they sent some hit men or something after him." Seifer leaned in, lowering his voice even more. "Said they attacked him while he was sleeping. Mixed up him and the brunet…Sora, right?" He hesitated, then went on. "Hasn't turned up in months, they say. Sora's still got the scars. I saw those myself. Blitzball practice and all." Riku nodded. "But I don't know if it's true. It's just one of the rumors flying around this place. For the truth you'd have to ask-"
"RIKU! WATCH OUT!"
Both of them looked up and Riku backed up a step. He flung up his arm in front of his face before he was attacked head on at full force.
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A/N: Ohh the suspense. Maybe if you review I'll put up the next chapter sooner. I haven't gotten any for this fic yet and it's a little discouraging. You know? So please be nice and review. In any case, thanks for reading!
-Eevil hero